Kelsey Griffin started the Sun's final two games before the All-Star break.

Photo Courtesy Scott Bruhn/NU Media Relations

Courtesy: NU Media Relations

07/18/2014

Former Husker All-Americans Kelsey Griffin (Connecticut) and Jordan Hooper (Tulsa) helped their teams close out the first half of the WNBA season before heading to the All-Star break with the conclusion of Week 9 of the WNBA season.

Hooper and Tulsa wrapped up a busy four-game week with a 95-90 win over San Antonio on Thursday afternoon. The Shock's win at home over the Silver Stars snapped a five-game skid and followed a noon tip at Minnesota on Wednesday. The Lynx defeated the Shock, 93-82, as Hooper managed two points, three rebounds and a steal in 15 minutes of action.

The Shock began the week with a 91-85 loss to the Lynx at the BOK Center in Tulsa on Thursday, July 10, before dropping a 91-74 decision at home to Washington on Saturday. Hooper had six points, including two threes, while adding two rebounds in both of those Shock losses. She pitched in two assists and two steals against Washington.

For the week, Hooper averaged 4.5 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. For the season, the rookie from Alliance, Neb., is averaging 6.3 points and 2.4 rebounds per contest while shooting 34 percent from three-point range.

Kelsey Griffin and the Connecticut Sun opened a West Coast road trip with an 86-63 pounding of Seattle on Tuesday afternoon. Griffin earned the start against the Storm and finished with eight points and seven rebounds in 24 minutes. She went 3-for-4 from the floor, including a three-pointer.

Griffin closed the first half of the season with her second straight start in a 101-85 loss at Phoenix on Thursday night. Griffin scored eight points on 4-of-7 shooting, while adding four rebounds, one assist and two steals in 22 minutes. The Sun slipped to 10-14, but Connecticut has already matched its win total from the entire 2013 campaign when they finished 10-24.

The Sun opened the week with a 90-64 home loss to Los Angeles on Sunday. Griffin managed four points and three rebounds in just nine minutes of action. For the week, Griffin averaged 6.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in 18.3 minutes of work. She is averaging 4.7 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game in 23 games with nine starts.

Hooper and Griffin will enjoy the weekend off, as the East meets West in the WNBA All-Star game on Saturday, July 19, at 2:30 p.m. The game will be televised live nationally by ESPN.

Hooper and the Shock tip-off the second half of the WNBA season by traveling to San Antonio to face the Silver Stars on Tuesday, July 22 at 7 p.m. Griffin and Connecticut will be in action at Washington on Wednesday, July 23 at 10:30 a.m.